Rabbi Seth H. Frisch

Rabbi Seth H. Frisch, a Conservative Rabbi, was ordained at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS) in New York City, the central seminary of the Conservative Movement worldwide. Rabbi Frisch is a noted speaker and lecturer on a wide range of issues affecting the American Jewish Community, including Political Rights as Understood by the Founders of the American Republic and the Origins of American Political Thought.

Before coming to Pennsylvania, Rabbi Frisch received advanced certification in Counseling Psychology from Columbia Teachers College in New York and the highly coveted Rabbinic Fellowship at The Interfaith Center of New York. The Interfaith Center of New York is regarded as the most prestigious of the inter-religious centers charged with the responsibility of creating dialogue and religious understanding in American society. While at the Interfaith Center, Rabbi Frisch was noted to have distinguished himself in public speaking, especially in the area of Religious Freedom and Interfaith Dialogue.

Rabbi Frisch was given a rare opportunity to work in publishing before returning to his professional passion as Rabbi and Spiritual Leader of Tiferes B’nai Israel. While in publishing, he was able to see firsthand the crucial role the press plays both in the Jewish community as well as in a free and open society. This is especially important given the emphasis we place on the free exchange of ideas and opinions and the recognition that without this open exchange of ideas our political rights and religious freedoms become imperiled.

It was also during this time that Rabbi Frisch founded The Lerhaus Institute of Jewish Studies in Abington, Pennsylvania. The Lerhaus Institute quickly became known for its high level of Biblical and Narrative studies and was modeled on the Lehrhaus institute created by Franz Rosenzweig in Germany during the 1920s and then later expanded upon by Martin Buber in the 1930s. The founding of Lehrhaus (note difference in spelling) came at a time of increasing anti-Semitism which would eventually culminate in anti-Jewish legislation aimed at isolating the Jewish community from the overall German population. Lerhaus today holds classes and lectures featuring scholars from all over the world speaking on a wide variety of topics ranging from the importance of Biblical scholarship to issues of concern for the Jewish community as a whole.

Not long after founding Lerhaus, Rabbi Frisch returned to the congregational rabbinate and currently serves as Senior Rabbi of Congregation Tiferes B’nai Israel in Warrington, PA. Tiferes B’nai Israel is the oldest synagogue in continuous use in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Additionally, Rabbi Frisch serves on the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Board of Rabbis, the first Board of Rabbis to be established in the United States.

Links for Rabbi Seth H. Frisch
Summer 2002 Symposium
Summer 2001 Symposium
Bulletin, July 18, 2001.


This page last updated August 25, 2012 jdb